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Poems

By Frances Anne Kemble
Kemble, Fanny (1809-1893)

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EARLY POEMS.
 
LINES WRITTEN AT NIGHT, August 9th, 1825.
 
VENICE.
 
TO MISS SARAH SIDDONS.
 
THE WIND.
 
EASTERN SUNSET.
 
FAREWELL TO ITALY.
 
THE RED INDIAN.
 
SONG.
 
LAMENT FOR ISRAEL.
 
A WISH.
 
A WISH.
 
SONG.
 
TO MRS. HENRY SIDDONS.
 
A SPIRIT'S VOICE.
 
TO THE DEAD.
 
TO ------.
 
SONG.
 
TO THOMAS MOORE, ESQ.
 
THE MINSTREL'S GRAVE.
 
ON A FORGET-ME-NOT
 
A WISH.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
ON A MUSICAL BOX.
 
TO THE PICTURE OF A LADY.
 
FRAGMENT.
 
SONNET.
 
WRITTEN ON CRAMOND BEACH.
 
SONNET.
 
FRAGMENT.
 
SONNET.
 
A PROMISE.
 
A PROMISE.
 
SONNET.
 
TO HARRIET ST. LEGER.
 
SONNET.
 
THE VISION OF LIFE.
 
SONNET TO MRS. JAMESON,
 
TO MY GUARDIAN ANGEL.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET TO HARRIET ST. LEGER.
 
TO THE SPRING.
 
TO THE NIGHTINGALE.
 
TO ------.
 
WOMAN'S LOVE.
 
TO MRS. NORTON.
 
AN ENTREATY.
 
LINES FOR MUSIC.
 
THE PARTING.
 
SONG.
 
FAITH.
 
TO A STAR.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
LINES,
 
LINES FOR MUSIC.
 
A FAREWELL.
 
IMPROMPTU.
 
SONG.
 
LINES ON A SLEEPING CHILD.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
TO A PICTURE.
 
LINES WRITTEN AT SEA.
 
LINES WRITTEN AT SEA.
 
SATURDAY NIGHT SONG AT SEA.
 
LINES.
 
AUTUMN.
 
AUTUMN SONG.
 
A PICTURE.
 
WINTER.
 
TO MRS. DULANEY.
 
LINES TO MISS ST. LEGER.
 
BALLAD.
 
LINES.
 
LINES.
 
LINES.
 
WRITTEN AT TRENTON FALLS.
 
IMPROMPTU.
 
IMPROMPTU
 
LINES.
 
SONNET.
 
AN ANSWER.
 
TO ------.
 
SONNET.
 
AN INVITATION.
 
AN INVOCATION.
 
A LAMENT FOR THE WISSAHICCON.
 
TO THE WISSAHICCON.
 
THE DEATH-SONG.
 
WRITTEN AFTER LEAVING WEST POINT.
 
FRAGMENT
 
AN APOLOGY.
 
WRITTEN AFTER SPENDING A DAY AT WEST POINT.
 
LINES
 
LINES TO ---.
 
LINES TO ------.
 
LINES
 
LINES
 
SONNET.
 
TO------.
 
SONNET,
 
ON A HOLLOW FRIENDSHIP.
 
EXPECTATION.
 
FORSAKEN.
 
TO------.
 
IMPROMPTU,
 
SONNET.
 
A RETROSPECT.
 
LINES FOR MUSIC.
 
AN EVENING SONG.
 
“'TIS AN OLD TALE AND OFTEN TOLD.”
 
SONNET.
 
SONG.
 
THE PRAYER OF A LONELY HEART.
 
ABSENCE.
 
SONNET.
 
RETURN.
 
LINES
 
TO------.
 
EPISTLE FROM THE RHINE.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
LINES
 
WRITTEN AT TRENTON FALLS.
 
TWO PICTURES.
 
TO------,
 
A NOONDAY VISION.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
A LOVER TO HIS MISTRESS.
 
A REJECTED LOVER TO HIS MISTRESS.
 
A REJECTED LOVER TO HIS MISTRESS.
 
PARTING.
 
LINES.
 
SONNET.
 
LINES
 
MORNING
 
NOONDAY
 
EVENING
 
LINES
 
LINES
 
WRITTEN IN A DIARY.
 
ARRIVAL IN ROME.
 
IMPROMPTU.
 
LINES.
 
LIFE.
 
LINES ON THE ANIO AT TIVOLI.
 
THE SIREN'S CAVE AT TIVOLI.
 
HADRIAN'S VILLA.
 
THE AUTUMN CYCLAMEN.
 
A ROOM IN THE VILLA TAVERNA.
 
THE LANDGRAFF.
 
THE FELLOWSHIP OF GENIUS.
 
SONNET.
 
GENIUS AND LOVE.
 
THE IDEAL.
 
PAST HOURS.
 
ON A SYMPHONY OF BEETHOVEN.
 
EVENING.
 
UPON A BRANCH OF FLOWERING ACACIA.
 
VERSES ON ROME.
 
DESPAIR.
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SCRAPS.
 
LINES
 
LINES
 
CLOSE OF OUR SUMMER AT FRASCATI.
 
A SUMMONS.
 
TORRE NUOVO.
 
TO PIUS IX.
 
A VISION OF THE VATICAN.
 
DEPARTING.
 
THE YEAR'S PROGRESS.
 
THE BLACK WALLFLOWER.
 
DREAM-LAND.
 
DREAM-LAND.
 
TO MY SISTER
 
SONNET ON THE AMERICAN WAR.
 
SONNET ON THE AMERICAN WAR.
 
SONNET ON THE AMERICAN WAR.
 
THE FALL OF RICHMOND.
 
ODE
 
SONNET.
 
EXPOSTULATION.
 
TO DANTE
 
TO SHAKESPEARE.
 
TO SHAKESPEARE.
 
TO SHAKESPEARE.
 
THE WRECK OF THE BIRKENHEAD,
 
SONNET.
 
WAKING.
 
TO LADY ANNABELLA NOEL.
 
LINES
 
TO EMILIA LOVATELLI,
 
EPITAPH
 
A GERMAN LEGEND.
 
IMPROMPTU
 
LINES FOR MUSIC.
 
SONG.
 
SONG.
 
SONG.
 
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.
 
FLYING LEAVES.
 
“LIFE IS BEFORE US.”
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
SONNET.
 
LINES WRITTEN AT BELVOIR CASTLE, 1883.
 
SONNET ON AN EDELWEISS.
 
SONNET.
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TRANSLATIONS.
 
IMPROMPTU.
 
IMPROMPTU.
 
SICILIAN SONG.

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75

SONNET.

[Thou poisonous laurel leaf, that in the soil]

Thou poisonous laurel leaf, that in the soil
Of life, which I am doomed to till full sore,
Spring'st like a noisome weed! I do not toil
For thee, and yet thou still com'st darkening o'er
My plot of earth with thy unwelcome shade.
Thou nightshade of the heart, beneath whose boughs
All fair and gentle buds hang withering,
Why hast thou wreathed thyself around my brows,
Casting from thence the blossoms of my spring,
Breathing on youth's sweet roses till they fade?
Alas! thou art an evil weed of woe,
Watered with tears and watched with sleepless care,
Seldom doth envy thy green glories spare;
And yet men covet thee—ah, wherefore do they so!
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